Bicycle



(No Model.) r

P. M. DRAKE.

v BICYCLE. No. 390,952. Patented Oct. 9, 1888.

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lmira raras FRED M. DRAKE, OF WILKES-BARRY PENNSYLVANIA.

BICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 830,952, dated 0etober9, 1888.

Application filed June 13,1888. Serial No. 276,905.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRED M. DRAKE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Wilkes- Barr, in the county of Luzerne and State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Handle-Attaching Devices for Bicycles, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to devices for attaching the handle-bar to the forkof a bicycle; and its object is to prevent the rider taking a header, asit is termed, when the front wheel strikes an obstacle.

My invention consists in attaching the handle-bar removably to the upperend of the fork or steering-bar of a bicycle in such a manner that itcan be instantly detached therefrom by the rider of the machine by theoperationo'f suitable devices for the purpose; and my invention furtherconsists in certain details of such device, to be hereinafter fullydescribed, and then particularly pointed out in the claims.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I will nowdescribe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a front elevation of the parts assembled. Fig. 2 is avertical longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is a section on the line yy, Fig.2. Fig. A is a detail perspective view. Fig. 5 is a section of mycoupling-cap, whereby the improvements may be applied to various stylesof bicycle.

Referrin to the drawin s, 1 re resents the upper end of the fork of abicycle, which is provided with a screw-threaded end, 2, for theattachment of my improvements.

3 represents a cap or casting consisting of a cylindrical portion, 4,which is formed with a pyramidal vertical extension, tenon, orprojection, 5. The cylindrical portion of the cap is provided with anaxial screw-threaded cir cular opening, 6, from which extends laterallya screw-threaded perforation, 7. The cap being screwed onto thescrew-threaded end 2 of the fork, it is further secured by means of aset-screw, 8, screwed into perforation 7 and into a circularscrew-threaded opening, 9, in the screw-threaded end of the fork. Forthe attachment of the handle-bar (presently to be (No model.)

described) I perforate or bore the pyramidal extension 5 of the cap 3across from one face to its opposite face, as seen at 10.

The handle-bar is constructed as follows: 11 is its center casting orcoupling-piece,which is provided with a central bulge or enlargement,12, on its upper side. Extending from the lower side of the centercasting a considerable distance into its enlargement 12 is a pyramidalmortise or opening,l3,in which fits snugly the pyramidal extension ortenon of the cap 3, the circular bore of the extension extendinglongitudinally of the casting. In line with the bore 10 of the extensionof the cap circular openings 14 extend longitudinally through thecasting to each end,and these openings are enlarged and screwthreaded at15. Into the screw-threaded portions of the openings 14 are screwed theends of the handle portions proper of the handle-bar,and they areconstructed as follows:

16 are metallic or other tubes, into one end of each of which is fitteda wooden or other handle or grip-piece, 17. The other ends are fittedwith caps 18, which are provided with externally screw-threaded tubularends or necks 19, which screw into the ends of the casting 11.

20 are longitudinally-sliding bars or rods within the tubes 16, andwhich are rectangular in cross-section, and the axial openings 21 of thecap 18, through which these rods pass, are also rectangular.

Fitted on the outer ends of rods 20 are catches 22, which are shoulderedat 23 to permit the outward pressure of spiral springs 24, surroundingthe rods 20, which bear thereon and also on the ends of necks 19,whereby the catches and their rods are normally passed inward towardeach other.

The outer ends of the catches 22 are beveled on their under side, topermit the tenon 5 of cap 3, when received by mortise 13, to force thecatches outwardly by the engagement of its wedge-shaped end, and whenthe parts are fully engaged the catches will spring into the opening inthe tenon.

At the outer under sides of the tubes 16 are longitudinal slots 25,through which project fingerpieces or triggers 26, secured to the outerends of sliding rods 20, whereby when an outward pull is brought to bearon both of which the catches at thcinner ends of the rods are retractedand the handle-bar released by pulling it away from the bicycle, andhence when the latter strikes an obstacle the object of my invention isattained.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination, with abicycle having its fork provided with a perforated projection orextension, of the hollow handle-bar fitting at its center over the saidprojection or extension, and the longitudinally-movable rods lo cated inthe bore of the handlebar and engaging the perforations in theprojection or QX tension, substantially as specified.

2. In a bicycle, the cap secured on a threaded portion of the fork, andprovided with a pyramidal projection having a transverse perfo ration,in combination with a hollow handlebar provided with a central pyramidalmortise fitting on the said projection, the spring-aetuated rods slidingin the bore of the handle-bar, engaging at their inner ends in theperforation of the projection, and provided at their outer ends withfinger-pieces which operate in slots in the handle, substantially asspecified.

3. The combination, with the pyramidal projection on the fork of abicycle, and provided with a transverse perforation, of the hollowhandle-bar provided with a centerpiece having a pyramidal mortisefitting on the projection, and the spring-actuated rods sliding in thebore of the handlebar and en gaging the registering perforation in theprojection, the extremities of the rods being beveled or tapered, as andfor the purpose specified.

4. A hollow handle-bar of a bicycle having I 5. In combination with thelongitudinallyperforated casting or center-piece of a bicyclehandle-bar, removable tubular ends of the same, rods sliding thereinprovided with finger-pieces or triggers projecting through slots in thetubular ends, and catches sliding in said perforations and fixed to theinner ends of said rods, and engaging a perforated tenon at the upperend of the fork, substantially as set forth.

6. In combination with the longitudinallyperforated casting orcenterpiece ofa bicycle handle-bar provided with screw-th reads,tubcshaving grip-pieces or handles at their outer ends and screw-threadedperforated caps at their inner ends adapted to be screwed into thescrew-threads of the center-piece, rods sliding in said tubes providedwith fingerpieces projecting through slots in the tubes, catches at theinner ends of said rods, and spiral springs surrounding thelatter andhaving bearing against said caps, and the catches whereby the latter areadapted to engage a perforated tenon at the upperend of the fork, as setforth.

7. In combination with the fork of a bicycle provided withascrewthreaded portion, a cap having a screw-threaded opening, wherebyit may be screwed on the said screw-threaded portion, and a perforatedtenon extending upwardly from said cap, a removable handle-bar providedwith catches adapted to engage said perforated tenon, substantially asset forth.

In testimony thatI claimthe foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

Fltll I.) M. DE A K I).

\Vitnesses:

G. S'rnurnnns, Joniv HANN.

